


Promises Woven in Red and Gold

by Pureauthor



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, F/F, FE Rarepair Week Summer 2017, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-08 21:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11655327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pureauthor/pseuds/Pureauthor
Summary: “Welcome back, Celica.” Faye reached out to grab her hand, and Celica's grip tightened on her's as well. “It's been too long.”---Seven snapshots of a blossoming romance.





	1. Promise

Promises Woven in Red and Gold

*~*

So I wanted to do something for FE Rarepair Week Summer 2017 Edition. I had some ideas floating around involving Faye/Celica, but it took longer than I would have liked before I was able to craft everything together into what it hopefully an engaging and compelling story.

I hope you all enjoy this!

*~*

Part 1: **Promise**

Prompt: **Sun**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

“ _You really have to go?” Faye's voice was soft. Pleading._

_Anthiese smiled back, her face lit in the orange glow of the setting sun. But she also lowered her gaze, refusing to meet Faye's._

“ _Yes, I do,” she said. “I never stay in one place for too long. My dad's job keeps him moving all over the place. Staying here for two months is already a lot longer than normal, to be honest.”_

_Behind Anthiese came the sound of a car's engine starting up, the sound shattering the quiet of the evening and serving as a harsh reminder that soon she would be gone from Faye's life – for good._

“ _Oh...” Suddenly it struck her that now, on the cusp of saying goodbye for real, she didn't really know what to say. Good luck? See you soon? All of that sounded ridiculous._

_And it wasn't what she really wanted._

_She wanted Anthiese to stay. She wanted the quiet girl she'd come into her life so suddenly to become a close friend to not leave just as suddenly._

“ _I...” Faye began, wringing her hands. And then suddenly, it struck her. “Anthiese, wait here, okay?”_

“ _Huh?” She blinked and tilted her head to the side. “What's the matter?”_

“ _Just – hang on!” Even as she yelled over her shoulder, Faye was already turning and dashing back into her room. Pulling open her bedside drawer, she threw open her treasure box and rummaged about it for a couple of seconds._

_Panting, she dashed back out the front door of her house, half-worried that her father had already bundled her into the car and driven off. But Anthiese was still there, hands clasped behind her back, waiting patiently._

“ _Here!” She blurted out as she neared. “This is for you!” And taking Anthiese's hand, she pressed her gift into it._

“ _A... ribbon?” Anthiese curled her fingers around it, letting one end fly free in the evening breeze. The ribbon was the colour of woven gold, and it shone in the evening light. “Wow! It's really pretty!”_

“ _I know! My grandma gave it to me as a gift a few years ago. It'd go great with your hair, don't you think?” Faye beamed at her for a moment before the smile faded. “It's my favourite ribbon, so take good care of it, okay? And... I hope when you wear it, it reminds you of me.”_

“ _Anthiese!” Her father's voice came from the car. “Hurry up and say goodbye! We've got a flight to catch!”_

“ _Faye, I...” Her friend smiled at her as she clutched the ribbon close to her chest. “Thank you so much! But I don't have anything to return the favour – Ah!” And suddenly, she was scrabbling at her neck, and the necklace she always wore was now unclasped and in her hands._

“ _Anthiese?” Faye blinked._

“ _Here,” she smiled. “This is for you. This... was a gift from my mother. And I want you to have it.”_

_Faye's eyes widened. She'd heard Anthiese talk about her departed mother before, and how much Anthiese missed having her around. She shook her head frantically. “No! I can't take something so precious from you!”_

“ _I **want** you to have it. It's because it's so precious that it makes a good gift. So... please.”_

“ _Anthiese...” Slowly, she reached out a hand to take the silver chain. A crimson pendant dangled at the end, sparkling in the light. “Thank you. I'll be sure to treasure it.”_

“ _Anthiese!” Her father's voice was an annoyed yell now._

“ _I have to go.” She took a step back, half-turned towards the car before pausing. “Good bye, Faye. I really enjoyed the time I spent with you. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, but-”_

“ _We will.”_

“ _Huh?”_

_She smiled as wide as she could manage. “We'll see each other again. I promise! I don't know how long it'll take, but... no matter what, I'll find you again!”_

“ _Faye...” Anthiese took a deep breath, and then nodded as a smile appeared on her face. “All right! I'll see you again, one day! It's a promise!”_

_And so a promise was made. On the roadside, lit by the fiery glow of the setting sun's rays, two children made a vow that they would come together again. One day..._

*~*

“My feet are killing me,” Faye groaned as she staggered towards the doorway of her apartment building, trying to balance four bags of groceries without dropping anything.

She had done well so far, but now her next obstacle loomed ahead of her – the sliding door that required her keycard to open. The keycard that was currently sitting snug in her pocket's cardholder.

“Oh boy.” Casting about, she confirmed that yes, her memory of the last few hundred times she had passed through this doorway was accurate, and there was nowhere to put her bags down for a moment so she could fish her pass out. So she could either stand there looking like an idiot waiting for some kind soul to help her out, or try to wiggle her arm into a position to grab her keycard.

Neither option looked all that appealing.

“Oh, here, let me.” A soft voice came from behind her and Faye twisted her neck to look behind her. A girl roughly her age walked up, her own keycard in hand. A soft beep, and the doors swung open.

“Thanks,” Faye said as she flashed the redhead a grateful smile. The girl returned a smile of her own before her gaze became more concerned.

“Er... are you sure you're okay with all those bags? Would you like some help?”

Faye opened her mouth to say that she was fine, but then common sense asserted itself and told her that if someone was offering to help, there was no good reason to turn her down.

It wasn't like the girl was going to run off with her groceries or anything.

“Thanks for the help!” She said with a glad smile. “Here, these bags are the lighter ones.”

After the girl had picked up two of the bags, Faye nodded in the direction of the lifts. “I live on the third floor.”

“Oh, that's a coincidence! Me too!”

“Huh, really?” Faye frowned as the lift doors opened and she stepped inside. “I... don't think I've seen you before though.”

“Oh, that's no surprise.” The girl shifted the bags she was holding to a more comfortable position. “I just moved in a couple of days ago, and I barely had the chance to leave my room, what with all the unpacking I had to do.”

“Well then,” she smiled. “On behalf of everyone else living here, welcome to Ram Gardens!”

A short chuckle. “Why, thank you!”

No more words were exchanged until they reached the door to Faye's room. With the lesser burden of only having to manage two bags, Faye was able to retrieve her keycard without fuss and open the door to her room.

“Thanks again.” She said as she pushed open the door. “You can leave the bags on the table over there.”

The rustle of plastic told her that the bags had all been set down, and Faye turned back to face her Good Samaritan.

“Heading off now?”

“Yes, I am.” The girl pointed. “I live just down the hallway in Room 304, so... well, if you ever find yourself in need of anything, feel free to stop by.”

“Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.” Faye smiled back as the girl stepped out of the room and closed the door.

Once alone, Faye blinked and scratched at the side of her head.

“Whoops,” she said to the empty room. “Forgot to introduce myself. Or ask her name.”

_Oh well. No big deal. I'll probably run into her again soon enough. I can ask her then._

*~*

In fact, it was almost a week before Faye saw her again. She had just been through a long hard day of work and she wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse onto the bed. Just as she stepped through the doorway of her block, the lift dinged softly and she saw the girl step out.

“Hi!” She smiled and waved. “Nice to see you again. Heading somewhere?”

“Oh yes,” the girl nodded and smiled. “I usually visit the park around this time.”

“Well, don't let me keep you!” With a friendly wave, Faye let the girl pass her by before stepping into the lift herself.

Another week passed, and Faye slowly learned that her new neighbour was a creature of routine, at least insofar as her park visits were concerned. Every day, at 6:30 she would head out for her walk, and on days where Faye was able to note the time she came home, it would be around an hour later.

Faye began to adjust her own schedule, trying to arrive at the lobby of their apartment building just a little earlier so she could catch the girl on her way out, if just so she could say hi and chat for a couple of minutes before they each went their own ways. Once she stopped by the local café on the way back to get some coffee to share with her before she headed back to her apartment.

“Or would you prefer tea?” Faye shrugged and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I'm afraid I still don't know what you like or... well, much about you.”

“Coffee is fine,” the girl laughed as she accepted the cup. “It's funny, isn't it? I don't know you very well either, but it's still nice to be able to talk with you like this.”

“I used to be pretty poor at making new friends.” Faye sighed. “But then... well, I don't want to go into the details but I realized that I couldn't go on like that, so I made an effort to be more outgoing.”

“Well, I'm glad that's the case, if it led to me meeting you.” The girl looked out the entrance to the apartment. “By any chance, are you free now? I'm heading to the park, so... would you like to join me?”

“Well, why not?” She didn't have anything on at the moment, and spending time with her new friend seemed as good an idea as any.

*~*

The sun was already starting to sink into the horizon, casting everything in an orange-red glow as the two of them continued their stroll down the path.

“I always liked sunsets,” the girl said as her gaze travelled out to the pond and the light sparkling off the water. “They're... I don't quite know. Soothing, perhaps? They remind me that life is better if every once in a while, we slow down and take the time to rest.”

“Hm... I'd have thought it was because of the sunset reminded you of your hair.” Faye took a glance at the vibrant locks that flowed down her back. “They're both really pretty, after all.”

“Why, thank you.” And she was graced with a pleasant smile and a soft laugh.

Later, while they were seated on a park bench, Faye chuckled.

“I just realized we've never actually told each other our names!”

“So we haven't,” she returned the laugh. “It's a bit strange, though. I don't know very much about you, but for some reason I feel comfortable talking to you like an old friend.”

“Yeah, me too!” Another laugh. “Isn't that weird? But we probably should still tell our names to each other, huh?”

“Yes, probably.” Stifling a giggle, her new friend offered her hand to shake. “My name is Celica. It's nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she said as she accepted the offered hand. “And I'm called Faye. It's nice to... Everything okay?”

Celica's hand had gone limp as Faye had said her name, and she was now staring, wide-eyed. Faye frowned slightly and took a quick glance around her, looking for the source of Celica's distress. She couldn't find anything and so she turned back to her, a question in her eyes.

“Faye...” She said the name slowly, as if testing it out, letting the sound linger on her tongue. “I... I have something to tell you.”

“... Go on.”

“Celica is my name _now_ , but I... changed it from something else. Back when I was a child, my name... I went by Anthiese.”

For a moment, neither of them moved.

And then her hand had slipped out of Faye's grasp and Celica was rummaging through her purse. At the same time, Faye had automatically reached for her neck and began pulling at the cord that hung around it.

And then she was holding it up to the light – the red pendant that had been given to her as a gift so many years ago. It sparkled, seeming to glow with its own inner light as it caught the rays of the dying sun. At the same time, Celica had brought it out – a worn golden ribbon, grasped tightly in her hand.

There was a silence for a long moment. Faye was the first to break it, with a choked laugh that seemed to merge into a sob. “So you kept my gift after all.” She felt a strange sensation in her chest, like she was being filled so full that she was on the verge of bursting – and yet, it wasn't an unpleasant sensation at all.

“Well, so did you,” Anthiese – Celica said as she held the ribbon close to her chest. “...I can't believe it. It's been so long... no wonder we didn't even recognize each other first.”

“Seven years...” Faye took a breath as she stared down at the ribbon. “It's been seven years.”

“I tried to find you. After I... left.” Celica shook her head. “But all I could find was news about the fire... nothing about where the former inhabitants had moved to.”

“It was awful. I nearly...” Even now, if she thinks about it, she can remember the suffocating heat, screams for help, the choking, acrid stench. But now wasn't the time to think about such things. “But that's all in the past.”

“It is.” Celica nodded and smiled at her. “For now, Faye. It's nice to see you again.”

“Welcome back, Celica.” Faye reached out to grab her hand, and Celica's grip tightened on her's as well. “It's been too long.”

Seven years ago, bathed in the light of the sunset, two girls made a promise to each other.

Today, under the gentle glow of the evening sun, two women fulfilled a promise to each other.

*~*

**Chapter End**

*~*

 **Author's Notes:** I am a complete sucker for the 'childhood friends drift apart for several long years, then find each other again' storyline. If anything, that's why I'm a little disappointed with the way Echoes proper handled it, but eh. This story is its own beast.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and I welcome any comments of critiques you might have to make!


	2. I'll Be There For You

Promises Woven in Red and Gold

*~*

I'm not really used to writing with deadlines other than self-imposed ones (because of course those can slip with no one but me catching any heat for it.

So hopefully my writing doesn't suffer too much for it.

*~*

Part 2: **I'll Be There For You**

Prompt: **Family**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

As she stepped through the doorway of the diner, Faye almost instinctively took a deep breath. The aroma of freshly backed pastries mixed with the scent of roasted chicken and gravy to create a potent smell that was almost unique to this place.

“Faye, over here!” She saw Gray waving at her from a booth at the far end of the diner and waved back before she started to head over as well.

“You come here often?” She heard Celica say from behind her, her voice barely audible above the din of the evening crowd.

“Oh yeah. I think Tobin was the one who discovered this place, and it turned out the food here is pretty good! And their apple pie is to _die_ for.” She looked over her shoulder. “Anything the matter?”

“Not at all. It's just a new experience for me is all.”

In moments she had slid into the booth, Celica moving in smoothly beside her. It was only then that Faye realized that her friends were all guys. Okay, obviously she had realized _that_ but it was only now that she became aware of the potential implications of bringing Celica out to meet them.

Well, they were all adults. So it would be fine. Right?

“Yo! Nice to meetcha! I'm Gray!” And the boy gave Celica a lazy wave. “And you're Anthiese, right?”

“It's Celica now,” the girl said. And even as Faye was busy with greeting the rest of her friends and apologizing for being late, something about the way she said it put Faye on edge. It wasn't that she seemed troubled or unhappy about the statement. If anything, it was that the line, so short and simple, came out a little _too_ smoothly. Like it was a rehearsed statement she'd said to plenty of people before.

She shot a quick glance at Celica, but the moment passed and she'd already turned to greet Tobin and Kliff as well. Faye shook her head and tried to let the matter drop. Most probably she just got that question a lot from people who used to know her.

Celica turned to say hi to Alm as well, and then a quizzical smile came across her face. “Have we met before?”

Alm frowned slightly as he sipped his drink. “You _do_ look familiar... But I can't quite place it... Oh!” He snapped his fingers. “The animal shelter! You were a volunteer there too, weren't you? I remember you working with the cats alongside me.”

“'The Novis Greatport Animal Sanctuary? That's the one!” Celica smiled with delight. “I remember now! You were the one who adopted the gray tabby, weren't you?”

“Yup! Sir Purr's doing just fine, by the way. Maybe one of these days you could come visit him.”

“Maybe I will. And of course he would be. I very distinctly recall you spoiling him rotten from the day you two met.”

“Small world, eh?” Gray smirked as he leaned over to snag an extra napkin. “Faye wants to bring an old childhood friend of hers to meet us, and it turns out she already knew someone else from our gang!”

“ _And_ it's the two old lovebirds! Who would've guessed!” Tobin said with a laugh.

“Wait, lovebirds?” Celica asked, and Faye's grip on her glass of water tightened.

“Oh, yeah, you don't know,” Tobin pressed on, utterly oblivious to how the mood at the table had soured the instant he brought the topic up. “Yeah, Alm and Faye here used to be a _thing_ , but then – what? Wha-” He broke off as Gray yanked hard on his sleeve.

“Shut _up_ , Tobin.” His best friend hissed.

A glance around the table and the glares aimed his way apparently clued Tobin in on what was wrong. “... Oh. Er, sorry.”

“I...” Celica glanced around the table. “My apologies, I didn't mean to bring up an unpleasant topic.”

“No, it's fine! It's fine.” Faye shook her head. “It just... well, things didn't work out. We just don't like talking about it.”

“Right,” Alm smiled. “Leave the past in the past, and all that. We're friends now. That's what matters.”

“Uh-huh!” She nodded, just a little too enthusiastically. “We came out of it with our friendship intact. That's more than enough for me!”

“If we're done with introductions, maybe we could order? I've been sitting here listening to the grumbles of Tobin's belly for the last ten minutes.” To punctuate his point, Kliff handed a menu over to Celica.

The discussion quickly turned to what food they wanted to order, leaving more unwelcome topics behind. As much as they could be, at least. Faye glanced up, catching Alm's eye, and his smile towards her was rueful.

*~*

“I hope you enjoyed yourself.” The night air was cool which made for a pleasant walk back home. Faye closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“I did,” Celica nodded back. “The food was every bit as good you said. And your friends are certainly a lively bunch.”

“That they are,” she nodded, “sometimes it feels like I'm doing all I can to keep up with them, even though we grew up together.” Faye smiled as she said that, and tried not to think of old fears she'd had of watching their backs grow smaller in the distance, moving further away.

No. That was all in the past. And she knew – beyond the shadow of a doubt – that their friendship for her was unshakeable.

“But at the same time,” she continued as if her thoughts hadn't been interrupted. “I guess I know even if that ever happened... they'd slow down to wait until I caught up again.”

Celica had a thoughtful expression on her face as she nodded to show that she understood where she was coming from.

“So yeah, they can be inconsiderate, and sloppy and careless at times, but when the chips are down... they'll be there for me. I know they will.”

“It's a nice feeling, isn't it?” Celica's gaze was now distant. “To know that someone will always be watching out for you, no matter what?”

“I'll say!” She nodded in fervent agreement. But the way Celica had said it, it wasn't just some passing observation. It was something deeply personal for her.

They continued on in silence for several more steps before Celica spoke up again. “Say, Faye? Are you free this coming Saturday?”

“Hm...” Faye ran through a mental checklist and shook her head. “Sure, there's nothing that I can't procrastinate on even more than I already have. Why, anything on your mind?”

“Oh, nothing much.” She shrugged and smiled. “You invited me out for dinner to meet your friends, so I thought I'd return the favour.”

“Well, sure!” Faye laughed. “Where's the place?”

“Hm...” her friend's smile held a hint of mischief now. “Now, where's the fun in spoiling the surprise so early? But, er, you're fine with seafood, right?”

“Well, I don't like crab, but aside from that, yeah, I'm good.” Faye raised an eyebrow. “You do realize you just gave me a pretty big clue about the place, right?”

“Well, feel free to search up a list of the seafood outlets in town.” Celica laughed. “I don't think it'll narrow it down that much.”

She folded her arms and rolled her eyes. “Okay, have it your way, Celica. I'll play along.”

“Great. Trust me. You'll love it!”

*~*

“Saber's Seafood Shack?” Faye read the words painted on the sign over the entrance, her tone growing more dubious with every syllable.

“Yes, I know how it looks.” Celica couldn't hide the smile on her face or the laughter in her voice. “But trust me: This is as good as seafood gets.”

“Well, if you say so.” Celica's eaten on Faye's recommendation before, so she supposed she could trust her on this one.

The furnishings of the place were simple, but everything was clean and the place was well-lit. The chairs and tables came in all shapes and sizes, with no consistent design that Faye could spot. The walls of the restaurant were bedecked with all sorts of bric-a-brac as decorations. Some of it fit the nautical theme one would expect of a seafood restaurants, such as the giant anchor hanging on the far wall, but the other items were far more eclectic than she would have expected, such as what appears to be a small collection of swords proudly displayed near the entrance.

While Faye was busy admiring-slash-gawking at the decorations, Celica had already stepped in the direction of the kitchen. “Uncle!” She called out. “We're here!”

“If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times,” an annoyed voice floated out from back and a man stepped through the double doors. Faye has a moment to register that he's wearing an eyepatch before he walked up to the two of them, “don't call me that in public! 'Specially on the busy nights!”

The place was half-full at best, and anyway the way the both of them were behaving indicated it was more of an old joke than anything else. He came to a halt several feet from her and gave her an appraising look.

“How've you been, lass? The city treating you right?”

“I can't complain. And how's business, uncle?”

“Same old, same old. Just enough to keep the kids drawing a paycheck and me in the black.” The man turned to regard Faye. “So she's the friend you told me about, huh? Faye, right?”

“T – that's right!” Faye said a little hastily as she stepped forward and extended a hand. “It's nice to meet you, er...”

“Call me Saber. What, you didn't see my name scrawled up above the front door?” His handshake was a single enthusiastic pump that sent a jolt all the way up Faye's arm. “It's nice to meet you at last, girl. Celica wouldn't shut up for the longest time about running into her old friend she'd thought was gone for good.”

“Uncle!” Faye could spot a slight flush on Celica's cheeks.

“Hey, what're you mad at me for? You're the one who kept talking my ear off. And where's the wait staff? They should've been here ages ago to get your table.” Half-turning, he cupped his hands over his mouth. “BOEY! GET IN HERE. WE'VE GOT CUSTOMERS WAITING!”

“Sorry, sorry!” The double doors swung open again, and a boy stumbled out. “I didn't hear the – oh, Celica! How have you been?”

“Get 'em a table! You can chat when you're not on the clock.” Wiping his hands on his apron, Saber shook his head and started to head back into the kitchen. “Swear to the Mother, you can't find good help these days...”

Boey and Celica shared a chuckle as Saber vanished, but then he grabbed a couple of menus from the stack and indicated for them to follow her, which they did.

“So, you're Faye?” he said as he smiled at her and pulled out a chair for her to sit. “Celica's told me a lot about you.”

“She did?” It hadn't really crossed her mind that she would be subject of Celica's discussions with other people. Not that she minded, really, but still.

“Yeah, it was all she could talk about for a while. How she found her childhood friend again after so many years. It's good that you can make her so happy, you know?”

“Boey...” Celica frowns slightly in an affected gesture and the boy laughs.

“Okay, okay. I'll go get your drinks. Lemme know when you're ready to order!”

As Boey left, Faye smiled at Celica. “So you know the people here! No wonder you wanted to bring me to visit this place. ”

“Yes, this place is filled with memories for me...” Celica's gaze lingered on the walls and the decorations. “But I wasn't kidding when I said the seafood is great! Uncle – Saber – is amazing in the kitchen.”

“I see.” Opening the menu, Faye began looking down the list of what they had on display. “Well then, let's see what they have to offer...”

*~*

Celica had been correct. Saber was apparently a great cook, and in between that and frequent visits from the rest of the staff, all of whom apparently knew Celica, time passed quickly.

After the meal, and after bidding farewell to the crew of the restaurant (“Don't be a stranger, lass!”), the two of them agreed to take a walk before heading back, to better let the food digest, and also to let enjoy the pleasant weather of the night.

“So... Saber,” Faye began as they walked down the pier. “I didn't want to ask while in the restaurant, just in case it's a sensitive issue, but what happened to his eye?”

“Oh, it happened before I met him.” Celica tilted her head to the side, and a slight frown crossed her face. “Uncle... well, he's got a past he doesn't like to boast about, so it's probably for the best you didn't mention it. But he got that injury in a bar brawl, and... well. I think getting that injury was part of the reason why he decided to clean up and run a more respectable business, but I never wanted to pry.”

“Wait,” Faye frowned as she picked up something in Celica's choice of words. “Before you _met_ him? I thought he was your uncle?”

“Oh, no, he's not _actually_ my...” Celica trailed off. There was silence, with Faye letting her take her time to sort her thoughts out. “Faye... you know I used to be called Anthiese, right?”

“Yeah.” Faye raised and lowered her shoulder. “But... well, I always got the feeling it was something you didn't want to talk about. I decided not to pry.”

“Well, thanks for that.” Celica was now keeping her gaze locked on the ground ahead of her. “The truth is, I wanted to leave my old life behind. To cut all ties with... him.”

“Him? You mean... your father?”

“That man is not my father.” The statement was drained of any emotion, but delivered just a tad too quickly to be completely impersonal. Faye winced, involuntarily.

“Sorry... I didn't know.”

“No, it's all right. Of course you didn't.” Celica heaved a sigh. “A few years after we first met, I decided to start digging into my family tree. He was... he wanted to remarry, and I didn't mind – not at first. But then I learned that my mother's marriage to him was...” She broke off, bit her lip, and Faye suddenly realized that Celica's shoulders were shaking.

“It's okay,” she said quickly. “You don't have to talk about it if you don't-”

“No, I want to do this.” Her voice was quiet. “I... want you to know.”

Faye fell silent, but after a moment, she stepped closer to hold Celica's hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

Celica bit her lip for a moment, and then she nodded. “He never loved her. He just wanted a trophy wife to hang on to his arm when they attended social events and parties and made business deals. She refused, at first. But then... he found some scandal from her family's past and threatened to unearth it. I can't even remember what it was now, but it was damaging enough that my mother ended up agreeing just to save her family's reputation.”

There was a silence for a moment and Celica shook her head. “After I found this out... I knew that I didn't want anything more to do with that man or his family. So I left. Changed my name. Moved back to this country. I don't know if he ever searched for me. If he did, he didn't try very hard.”

“...Wow.” Faye breathed out into the night air. “That must have taken a lot of courage.” If it were me, w _ould I have the – what am I saying? Of course I wouldn't. I'd be too weak to let go, ever._

“Well, I guess anger and disgust can be a good substitute for courage.” Celica seemed calmer now, as if telling her story had helped unload her burden. “And at the end of the day, it was still incredibly reckless. Leaving him was all well and good, but I was still alone with no plans and no money. To be honest, after a while I felt lost.

“It was Uncle. He was the one who rescued me. Took me in, gave me a place to stay. He let me know that he would look out for me no matter what.” One hand clenched into a fist as she brought it close to her heart. “I owe him... everyone at the restaurant... more than I can ever repay.”

“Huh. That's so sweet. I saw you were really close with everyone there, but I didn't know it went that far.”

“The job I have, the apartment I was able to rent...” Celica paused and turned to gaze back in the direction of the restaurant, long since vanished in the distance and the gloom of night. “The life I'm able to live now. It's all because they were there for me when I didn't have anything. When I was at my lowest.”

_When I was at my lowest._

Faye took a deep breath, and half turned to face Celica as she was walking. “Celica.”

“Mm?”

“Well, this is coming a few years too late, but...” Faye swallowed once and nodded, trying to look confident. “I want you to know that I'll be there for you too.”

Celica stood in silence for a moment before a smile came onto her face. “Faye...”

“I'm serious!” Faye insisted. “I... wasn't there to help you back when you were at your lowest, but I'm here now. And... and I'll be there for you, no matter what. I may not be all that much help, but I'll never leave you again! I swear.” _After all, I know. I know what it's like when you feel all alone... and_ _when you feel like no one's there to help_ _. And I know how it feels when you realize you ha_ _d_ _people on your side all along._

“I know you mean it, Faye.” Celica's smile grew deeper. “And I wasn't smiling because I didn't think you were serious. I'm just... so touched. It's been so long, but in some ways it's like we never left each other at all.”

“Well, we didn't have a choice back then.” Faye sighed, more for the theatrical effect than anything else. She reached down to grasp Celica's hand in her own again. “But we do now! And I'm not letting you leave me behind any longer.”

“And I won't leave again.” Celica promised and she squeezed hard on Faye's hands briefly, a sign of reassurance. “So... whatever happens to either of us, we'll face it together.”

“That's right.” Faye nodded in affirmation. “Together.”

*~*

**Chapter End**

*~*

 **Author's Notes:** Oh boy look at all that dialogue.

Initial story ideas was that this would story would almost be 100% WAFF. Not... really how it turned out in the end. You can probably see some hints of issues that might crop up later in the story. Anyway! Hope you all enjoyed this. Comments and critiques are always welcome!


	3. Plainly Beautiful

Promises Woven in Red and Gold

*~*

I think part of the fun of doing a story like this is trying to use the prompts to fit your story.

And part of the danger is that you end up with a story that goes off the rails and the chapter barely resembles anything the initial prompt had to do with. Especially when you're a pantser writer like me.

Oh well. On with the story.

*~*

Part 3: **Truly Beautiful**

Prompt: **Shopping**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

“ _I can't stay here. Not for one more minute.”_

_Anthiese felt her heart pounding in her chest, her breath coming out in short, rapid gasps. She couldn't stay here. She just couldn't._

_Not with a father who – No. That man was not her father. He was a vile, shameless scoundrel who had coerced her mother into – She paused, tried to calm her breathing and tried to tamp down on the anger she was feeling._

_Simply sitting and stewing in her anger was pointless. She needed to act. She needed to **leave**._

_She didn't need to worry about being discovered. He barely paid attention to her at the best of times, and now that he was out on another business trip she had free rein to prepare._

_Most of her essentials had already been packed – she planned on travelling light, enough so she wouldn't get bogged down in a new city with heavy luggage. And for anything else..._

_Opening her dresser, she pulled out her jewellery box. Necklaces, earrings... Birthday gifts and presents over the years. They were all meaningless to her, but she would probably be able to get some money by selling those off._

_And then she paused._

_Lying in the centre of her box, neatly folded, was a golden ribbon. Heaving a long sigh, Celica reached down to pick it up, feeling her heart flutter as she did so._

_It was so simple. So unadorned. And yet it looked more beautiful to her than any of the sparkling gems in the rest of the box._

I can't believe I almost forgot to bring this with me. _Well, something else to be thankful for, then . Already she'd tucked it into a pocket of her purse, and she continued rifling through the rest of her goods._

“ _She's probably still living at the same house,” she said to the empty room._ I wonder if she even still remembers me?

_In mere moments, Anthiese was at the doorway of the house. She paused, took a deep breath, and stepped out, leaving the house – and her old life – behind._

_She never looked back._

_*~*_

“A day out? Sure!” Faye's voice was crackly over the phone, and the thought that maybe she should buy a better model crossed Celica's mind briefly. But then, it was good enough for her purposes _now._ “Where to?”

“You know about the new mall that opened recently? I thought it might be fun to spend the day there and see what they have to offer in the shops. And if it turns out to be a letdown there's still Beggar's Market nearby and the park.”

“Heh,” there was the sound of something like splashing water on Faye's end of the phone. “Well I can't say I've ever been much of a mall rat. But I guess visiting the mall once in a while would be fun.” A sigh and what sounded like the clinking of cutlery. “I could do with some new clothes anyway. Most of my older stuff is getting pretty threadbare.”

“That's great!” Celica glanced over at her planner lying open on her desk. “So, see you Saturday!”

“Got it! Bye!” And the phone clicked off.

Putting the phone down on the table, Celica felt a smile play across her face as she thought about the upcoming day out with Faye. Really, it was funny how her friend from childhood seemed to fit so nicely into her life once they'd found each other again. Faye always seemed up for spending time with her, and if Celica also knew that she'd always readily make time in her day if Faye asked for it.

Maybe it was just the comforting familiarity of an old friendship being renewed again after so long. The idea that they could pick up where they left of after so many years apart seemed to be a sign that things could get better, that Celica could in fact get a handle on her life. And Faye was _easy_ to be with. She wasn't a talker, but she seemed to always know just what to say to cheer Celica up when she was feeling down after an exhausting day at work or something broke down and she had to figure out how to fix it, or-

Well, she had to admit that she wasn't sure if it was because of the advice Faye gave to her, or because it was Faye giving the advice to her. She just felt _comfortable_ being with her, almost like wearing an old shirt that was worn and stretched in exactly the right places.

She then blinked and shook her head. _I really do come up with the strangest analogies sometimes._

*~*

“So, I asked Tobin and Kliff for their opinions on what kind of clothes I'd look good in,” Faye's arms were folded as she walked down the street, her face set in a frown, “and the only thing Tobin came up with was 'pink'. Pink! What kind of answer even is that?”

Celica put a hand to her mouth to hide a chuckle. “Well,” she said. “I do think pink is a good colour for you. It helps to bring out your eyes.”

“My eyes?” Faye turned to look at Celica and raised an eyebrow. “There's nothing to really bring out – they're just boring old brown.”

“Oh, come now!” And now Celica was the one frowning. “Who said brown is a bad colour? I happen to think your eyes are really pretty, Faye!”

“Oh? Well thanks, but...” Faye shrugged her shoulders. “If we're talking pretty eyes, then I can't hold a candle to you, you know. You eyes are such a deep red, they're almost like rubies! And they go so well with your red hair too! Mine are just... plain. Ordinary.”

“Oh no, I'm not letting that pass.” Celica wagged a finger at her. “Your eyes look wonderful! Have you ever seen them at sunset? I mean, silly question, of course you can't see them, but the way they catch the light makes them look like they're glowing. They're beautiful, and don't let anyone tell you different.”

They looked at each other for a long moment before they both burst into laughter – catching the attention of passers-by around them.

“All right,” Celica said as she wiped a tear of mirth from her eye. “Leaving aside the issue of which of us has nicer eyes – what about Kliff? Did he offer anything useful?”

“Hm, well.” Faye cupped her chin. “He told me that since a lot of my wardrobe is pretty plain, I might want to go for something with a bit more flair this time. I dunno, though. I don't like clothes that are too fancy or anything like that. And plain is easier to wash too – you know how often I end up with spilled food on my blouse.”

Celica cast a surreptitious glance over what Faye was wearing then – a baby-blue blouse with a wool sweater (that was indeed light pink) to protect her against the autumn chill. “Well, it's not like you'll be wearing your nicest clothes to work. And anyway, we've plenty of time to shop around and see if anything catches your eye.”

“I guess.” Faye clasped her arms behind her back. “But what about you? Anything you're on the lookout for, Celica?”

“Hm. I'm not sure. Maybe more colouring pencils and some paint.”

“Ooh, yeah, that reminds me; you still need to show me your work some time! I mean, you've actually found some buyers for your paintings before, right? So they've gotta be pretty good!”

“Hah...” Celica closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. “I don't know. When I sell my work it's usually done online through a pseudonym. It feels... safer that way, I guess? I don't know if I'm comfortable with showing it to people I know personally. I haven't shown it to Mae or Boey or Genny yet, either.”

“Hm,” Faye nodded, “well, if you're not comfortable with it, then you're not. Don't worry then, I won't push you or anything.”

Celica gave her a grateful smile and a quick nod of thanks. And then, they were at the entrance of the mall.

*~*

“That's gotta be the largest arts and crafts shop I've ever seen!” Faye let out an impressed whistle as they stepped out of the store. “Who knew they even sold that many different kinds of paintbrushes?”

“Well, it means that I was able to get the shades I needed quickly so that's good.” Celica gave a nod of satisfaction as she held up one of the paint pots to the light. “My usual supplier is cheaper than this, but they don't have as much variety.”

“Okay then,” Faye glanced around. “I guess clothes shopping is next on the list.”

“You don't sound very enthused.”

“No, more... overwhelmed?” Standing in the atrium, Faye gazed up at the seven storeys of shopping mall stretching up above her. “I don't actually shop for clothes all that much. At least not in big fancy shopping centres like these. So I'm actually a little lost.”

She chuckled and leaned in closer. “You want to know a secret? I don't shop that much either. I'm as lost as you are.” Faye grinned slightly at that, which Celica took as a good sign, and she grabbed ahold of Faye's hand. “C'mon, let's go find the department store. They'll probably have an opening sale going on.”

“Right behind you!”

*~*

“I think it looks good on you.” Celica said as Faye held the headband up to her hair.

“You also said that about the last four ones I tried.” Faye pursed her lips as she replaced the headband on the rack, her fingers drifting over the options.

“Well, maybe it's because they all looked good on you.” Celica rubbed her thumb against her chin for a minute before she pointed one out. “There. That light blue one. It would go great with your blonde hair.”

“Huh.” Faye fingered one of her pigtails. “I wouldn't say my hair's blonde. Not _really._ It's more... straw. Sand. Something like that.”

“Sure, it's a bit lighter than normal, but colour theory's colour theory. And 'straw'? You really don't flatter yourself much, do you?”

“Maybe I could buy some new ribbons instead?” Faye pointedly ignored Celica's last statement as she walked over to the next display case. “I think I prefer my hair in pigtails.”

“I mean, you'll look good regardless.” And that was true, at least by Celica's reckoning. As she was... well, cute was probably the best word to describe it, with her thick braids cascading down her shoulder and framing her face. Her hair bunched up at the points where they were tied together, and Celica briefly got the images of cushions, with how soft and fluffy it looked when Faye wore it like that.

“Sure I would,” Faye frowned as she leaned over to get a better look at herself in the mirror. “What I wouldn't give for hair like yours, Celica! It's so soft and smooth and – and silky! It's like a waterfall of red! If I tried to wear my hair like that it'd be a snarl of tangles in twenty minutes, tops.”

Celica tried not to let her frown show. Her bright red hair had been inherited from... him. It ran in the family, apparently. And she didn't like the reminder.

“Well, if you're not that interested in new hair accessories, shall we move on? The clothing department is that way.” Faye nodded to that statement and soon they were both picking through shirts and blouses.

“Okay, I think I've got a couple I like,” Faye said as she held up a couple of blouses. “What do you think?”

“They're... okay?” Celica tilted her head to the side, tried to envision Faye in them. The blouses were both monocolour, and were soft pastel colours of sky blue and pink lace. They fit Faye's image, certainly, but... “I'm starting to think Kliff was right. You really do aim a lot for plain clothes.”

“Well, like I said,” Faye shrugged. “I don't know if I can really pull off the fancier designs. I mean, sometimes I think I look good in them, but then I'm also not sure if I'm just fooling myself.” Her shoulders slumped.

“Well, lucky you have me here, then.” Celica took Faye gently by the shoulders and began to steer her in the direction of the more elaborate designs. “Go pick out something you think you'll look good in, and I'll be your second opinion.”

There was a nervous chuckle from the other girl, but as they continued to browse the racks, Faye seemed to visibly relax more, pointing out this design or that to ask Celica for her opinion.

Finally, Celica held out a strapless dress the colour of sunset, and Faye raised an eyebrow.

“You think I'll be able to pull that off?” The dubious tone in her voice was all too apparent.

“I _know_ you will. Come on, let's get you to a dressing room and you can try it on.”

As Faye lingered in the dressing room, Celica paced and tried to picture what Faye would look like wearing that garment. She had been serious when she'd said that she thought Faye would look gorgeous in that dress – well, mostly. But a part of her was just really interested in giving Faye the push she needed to be a bit more daring.

Finally, there was the sound of curtain being pulled back, and Celica turned to face Faye.

“How do I look?” Faye said as she gave a tug at the bodice. “It's a little tight across the chest actually.” She gave a little half-twirl, to show Celica how the back look, and after a moment seemed to realize that Celica wasn't responding. “... Celica?”

She blinked and shook her head. “Oh, sorry! I was just...” _Stunned? Bedazzled?_ When Faye had stepped out of the room, Celica had felt her breath taken away. It was as if she had seen Faye for the first time, and she... well. “You look _amazing,_ Faye _._ ”

And she did, Celica thought. The way the colours of her dress worked to complement her hair and her eyes. The way it dress hugged her body nicely and also revealed pale, shapely shoulders. The shy smile she was showing Celica now.

She really, truly did.

*~*

“So, I take it the date went well?” Mae said as she leaned back in her chair, munching on the cookies the two of them had just finished baking.

From the kitchen counter, Celica raised an eyebrow. “Hardly a date by any stretch of the word. We just went out and did some shopping together. And yes, I believe it went well. I managed to persuade Faye to buy a couple of dresses that flatter her a little more, although I'm not sure if she'll ever wear them or not.”

“And that'd be a great loss, wouldn't it?” Mae wasn't even bothering trying to hide her smirk any more as she accepted the cup of juice Celica had poured her. “Not getting to see Faye in them?”

“Oh come off it.” Celica rolled her eyes as she grabbed a cookie for herself. “We're friends. We're comfortable with each other. That's all there is.”

“Yeah, well, I'm just saying!” Mae shrugged her shoulders. “You've barely been able to talk about anything but Faye ever since you found her again. Remember that one conversation where you kept harping on about how it was so cute the way she covered her mouth with the back of her hand whenever she giggled? So you're going to have to excuse us if we start getting Ideas.”

Celica never liked it when Mae succeeded in capitalizing spoken words and so she rolled her eyes. “Faye is a very dear friend, and nothing more. It's not like I'm in love with her or anything of the sort.” And she took a bite out of her cookie, as if to punctuate the point.

*~*

At 2 A.M. in the morning, Celica sat bolt upright in her bed and pressed her hands to her forehead.

“Oh, merciful Mother, I am,” she said to the empty room. “I _am_ in love with Faye.”

… _Now what?_

*~*

**Chapter End**

*~*

 **Author Notes:** Writing about the actual 'falling in love' part is one of things I struggle with in writing. Especially in a story structured like this when I have a limited number of chapters and words to work with it. I'm more used to either writing about people already being in love (even if they haven't confessed to it) or a very long slow burn like my older fics.

Also I wanna write mundane stuff where people just enjoy being in each others company and then when I do I'm like “Is this _too_ mundane? Is not enough happening? Am I describing things too much? Too little?”

Well that's all part of the challenge, and I hope it turned out satisfactory!


	4. Winter

Promises Woven in Red and Gold

*~*

As said earlier, I'd originally intended for this story to pretty much be 100% fluff and WAFF. And then I started thinking about how Faye and Celica would interact together in a pairing, and... well, it kinda got away from me a little.

Still, I think it turned out okay in the end. I hope you all enjoy this too!

*~*

Part 4: **Winter**

Prompt: **Ice**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

The problem with admitting your attraction to someone was that there was no way to put the genie back in the bottle. Once you realized you _liked_ that person, any interaction with them created a feedback loop where you found even more things to like about that person and that just fuelled your desire to spend more time with them and become even more in love with them.

Celica was learning this lesson now as Faye sat at her work table, working on a handkerchief. For whatever reason, Celica found the way Faye stuck her tongue out ever so slightly when she was concentrating on something to be completely _fascinating_.

Just like she loved the way Faye's focus became razor sharp whenever she got a new idea for a sewing project and she managed to effortlessly shut out the world when working. Or the way she would puff her cheeks out just a tiniest bit before letting out a loud, explosive sigh when she was irritated at something. Or the way she gestured when trying to make a point, waving her hands in the air in a loop, once, twice before letting it flop to her side. Or the way she smelled, like flowers in a spring field, still wet with morning dew.

“And done!” Faye announced as she sat back with a nod of satisfaction and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Celica _loved_ the way Faye brushed her hair out of her eyes, a quick irritated flip whenever it hung low enough to tickle at her brow. “I'd say this turned out pretty good! What do you think?”

“Huh?” It took Celica a long moment to realize that she was talking about the design on the handkerchief, and with a cough that she hoped would cover up her discombobulation, she took a closer look at the latest piece. “It's looks wonderful. But why doves?”

“Hm? I thought they looked pretty, is all.” Faye shrugged as she put the cloth on the table. “And they're considered to be a symbol of love, you know?”

It took considerable effort for Celica to keep her face impassive.

“Anyway,” Faye continued. “I'm sorry that I spent so much of the morning just... lost in my own world. I know I said I wanted your help with some ideas, but I guess I just ended up tuning everything out after a while.”

“Oh, it's no bother.” Celica waved the idea away. “I wasn't really busy this morning anyway, so I'm happy enough to spend time with you.”

_Did that sound strange? I think that sounded strange. Just 'spend time with you'? Was that too obvious?_

But Faye simply nodded and smiled as she put the handkerchief down. “Sure! I like spending time with you too!” Then her face fell as she glanced at the clock. “Oh man, I gotta get to work! Sorry, Celica, would you mind locking up behind me?”

“Of course not.” Faye was already dashing around the room, grabbing her wallet and stuffing it into her bag. She gave a hasty wave goodbye as she shrugged on her thick woollen jacket – it had snowed last night so it was even colder today – and her boots, and then she was gone, leaving the door open behind her.

Left alone in Faye's apartment, Celica drained the last of her coffee and took a glance at the blinding whiteness outside. With a shake of her head, she proceeded to wash her cup before leaving it to dry on the sink. And then she left the apartment, using the spare key Faye had given her to lock the door behind her.

*~*

“Well, so you're in love with Faye.” Mae shrugged. “Congrats on being able to admit it to yourself, by the way. So, when are you actually gonna let her know?”

“I can't tell her!” Celica shook her head as she paced around the room. Ostensibly used for private parties in the Seafood Shack, in practical terms it was a meeting place for the gang because no one ever booked a reservation for the room anyway. “I mean, she... in the first place, she wouldn't see me that way.”

“Well... not to say I don't believe you or anything, but how do you know?” Boey said.

Celica let out a frustrated sigh. “She used to date Alm. You remember the boy I told you about? The one who adopted the cat? That's how I know.”

“Well, who knows? Maybe she swings both ways!”

“And if she doesn't?” The frown on her face disappeared, replaced by a pensive look. “If I tell her, and – and she doesn't feel that way, that could ruin what I already have with her.” _I'd rather keep the friendship we have than... risk destroying it completely over something like th_ _is_ _._

“Okay, look,” Boey took a deep breath and spread his hands, “nobody's saying you have to rush into this, and there's nothing wrong with taking it slow. Mae and I hung out for years before we ever started dating.”

“Yeah, we did!” Mae laughed. “And eventually we just found out that we _really_ liked spending time together and we started doing it more and... well, here we are!”

“It's okay to feel uncertain at first, but...” Boey scratched the back of her head. “Maybe just... be with her more. See if there're any indications that she feels the same way you do.”

Celica didn't like that answer – it seemed too vague, too open-ended and with far too much chance of something going wrong.

But what choice did she have?

“Celica?” Genny's voice now, quieter than the others. But she clasped her hands and gave her an encouraging smile. “I... we all can tell that you share something really special with Faye. Whether it's love or friendship or both or... something in between. I know you're worried that you might damage it somehow. But... well, I think it's still worth a shot. Don't you?”

She took a glance at her friends, all looking at her with eager, hopeful expressions on her faces, and she found a weary smile coming up from within her.

“Yes,” she nodded once. “I suppose it is.”

*~*

The earlier sunsets meant that it was already dark by the time Faye arrived home, but that didn't mean they couldn't go out together for walks as normal.

Two or three times a week, they would head out into the streets, under the cold blanket of the vast night sky. Sometimes they would go down quieter paths, or even the park, and the silence would seem loud enough to swallow them. Faye would be bundled in at least three layers along with earmuffs and a wool cap, something that never failed to elicit a giggle from Celica. And when the chill got too much, they would hurry down the streets and duck into one of the cafés and diners that lined the roadside, stepping through the doorways that spilled warm orange light onto the dark streets.

Then they would sit together, sometimes eating their dinners, sometimes simply sipping from steaming hot drinks, and talk about their day, about the annoyances that had cropped up, about small personal victories in their lives, about their friends... anything and everything, really.

Celica didn't want to say that she was starting to get distracted, but of late she'd found herself paying more attention to Faye's mannerisms, trying to see if there was... well, _something_ there. Matters were not helped by the fact that she didn't actually know what to be looking for, but even so Faye seemed to her to be the same as always.

Yes, the same as always. Cheerful, patient, thoughtful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, fascinating, wonderful, amazing-

Celica shook her head and returned her attention to her pumpkin soup.

“Heads up,” Faye said as she glanced at her phone. “We shouldn't stay out too late. They say there'll most likely be a snowstorm coming later tonight.”

“Do you think it'll knock out the power?”

“Probably not.” She stuffed the phone back into her purse. “But I have a generator if worst comes to worst.” Then she paused and nodded, as if an idea had just occurred to her. “You want to come join me in my apartment for a while? Maybe catch a movie together or something.”

“Well, sure. Is there a special occasion?”

“No, not really...” Faye trailed off and bit her lip. “But it'll be extra cold and dark tonight so I figured the company would do both of us good!”

Celica smiled. “Then that sounds lovely.”

Later, after they had returned to Faye's apartment, Celica headed to her bedroom to bring out the blankets while Faye went to handle the heating and to prepare some snacks.

By the time Faye had returned with a bowl of popcorn and a bottle of cheap wine, Celica had finished arranging the blankets into what was hopefully a comfortable arrangement on the couch.

“So, do you have any movie in particular you'd like?”

“I don't have anything in mind right now, no. What about you, Faye?”

“Let's see,” she settled herself on the couch. “Let's go with some sappy love story. I'm in that mood tonight.”

Celica's blinked and her eyes darted in Faye's direction, but she was focused on the remote and fiddling with the buttons.

_Get a grip, Celica. That wasn't supposed to be a hint or anything. No way. I'm just reading too much into things. … Aren't I?_

“That sounds fine.”

Taking a deep breath, she settled herself down beside Faye, wrapped the blanket over herself, and started to watch the movie.

Outside, snow began to fall, thickly and in waves.

*~*

“That was a pretty good movie,” Celica said as the credits began to roll.

“Uh-huh.” Faye nodded, her movements slow and relaxed. As the movie had progressed, the two of them had shifted around on the couch to find more comfortable positions, and it had ended up with Faye half-leaning against Celica, their sides pressed together. Celica couldn't say she minded – in fact she found it rather pleasant. “Their relationship really got put through the wringer, huh? So many setbacks and challenges...”

“Well they ended up together in the end, and their relationship is all the stronger for it.” Idly, Celica picked up the last piece of popcorn in the bowl and tossed it into her mouth.

“Mm.” Faye's voice was a soft murmur as she leaned over even more, so that most of her body weight was now on Celica.

“You seem a bit more tired than usual today.” Celica managed a wan smile, although of course Faye wasn't looking at her. “Hard day at work?”

“Oh yeah, the kids today really wore me out.” Talking seemed to wake Faye up a bit and she sat a little straighter. “There's some new cartoon that just released the other day and they all wanted to play-act it during their lunchbreak. And of course they're not allowed outdoors because it's winter and they don't want the parents fretting about it being too cold.” She laughed. “It's funny how such little kids can run you ragged in no time, huh?”

“Well,” she reached over under the heavy blankets to pat Faye's hand. “If you're that tired, then I suppose I should leave you to get an early night.”

A soft giggle from her sleepy friend. “It's funny. We live so close to each other anyway, and we gave each other our spare keys...” a slight yawn. “You know, maybe we should just live together.”

Celica was certain that she had to have given _something_ away by the way she had tensed up, not to mention how her heart was now hammering in her chest. “W... what?” she managed, and not at all gracefully.

“Oh, it was just a thought.” Faye sat up even straighter, and Celica found herself missing the warmth of Faye's body. “But... well, it's true that one apartment would still be big enough for the both of us. The bedroom is plenty big, there's another room in the back I never use anyway...”

_Is this a sign? Should I take the leap?_

“Would you...” Celica began, and licked at lips that suddenly felt too dry. “Would you really be okay with that? With... me?”

And now Faye had sensed that something was up and she half turned to face Celica properly. “Well, why wouldn't I be? You're... well, you're you, Celica. I don't think I've felt as comfortable being around someone as much as I have with you.”

“Faye, I...” She paused, suddenly unsure of what to say. Just looking at Faye like this now, eyes wide with an unspoken question, mouth still curved in an encouraging smile, her face lit only by the soft glow of the TV screen, seemed to dry up the words in her mouth.

She was so beautiful.

“I... You're an amazing person too, Fate. And I... I _want_ to be with you.”

It seemed as if a thick, deafening silence fell on the room. Even the raging snowstorm outside sounded distant and muted. Faye's eyes widened even further, and her mouth now hung open.

“Celica... what are you...”

Celica swallowed hard and pressed on. “I'm... not sure when I realized this exactly. But I do. I love... _everything_ about you Faye. Your kindness, your smile, the way you talk, the way you laugh, the... everything. I love being with you, spending time with you, and... I need to know... Do you... feel that way too?”

Suddenly, she could see that even in the dim light, Faye was trembling. Her shoulders were shaking, and she was taking small, gasping breaths.

And Celica felt her heart turn to ice.

“I...” Faye's voice was strangled, as if she were fighting to force air into her lungs. “I can't love you.”

Celica shut her eyes and took a deep breath at the words she had dreaded for so long. “I... understand.” She was fighting to keep her voice even, not to let hurt or disappointment show on her face. If she could not have Faye's love, then at least she could still have her friendship – something precious, to be treasured and something she would always have to be grateful for. “Then I won't...” A frown crossed her face as her words came to a halt. Even with the pain of rejection, something about Faye's choice of words seemed odd. “You... _can't_ love me?”

And now Faye appeared to be the stricken one, eyes darting nervously around the room, refusing to meet Celica's gaze. She stood and moved away, adding a physical distance to the separation between Celica and her.

Faye's voice was soft, barely audible as she half-turned away, to stare out the window. “I'd only hurt you.”

And now there was something more than the simple pain of having her love turned down. Confusion and worry warred together in her mind, and Celica found herself scrambling out of the couch as well.

“Hurt me? Faye, what do you-”

“Please... Don't. Not tonight,” Faye's arms were now hugging herself and she continued to focus steadfastly on the scenery outside the window. “Not now. Please...”

Seeing Faye curled up into herself, in pain, made Celica step forward, almost instinctively. But her approach only seemed to worry Faye more and she curled up even tighter into herself, somehow managing to look smaller and even more miserable.

“Celica... I...” Faye took a deep breath. “I'm sorry. But... could you leave me be for tonight? Please?”

She had turned to face her now, and the look in her eyes was of a desperate person seeking some form of escape.

“I...” What to do? How to handle this? Something about this picture wasn't adding up, but with this thrust upon her in the middle of the night, Celica didn't know how to respond without potentially making everything worse.

“Please.”

Celica pursed her lips and nodded once, tried to offer an encouraging smile. “All right, Faye. I'll... come check on you in the morning.”

Faye managed a single nod, but made no other reply as Celica gathered her things and left the room. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

Alone, Celica crawled into her bed which seemed colder and lonelier than ever, closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the icy chill that beat in her chest.

*~*

The next morning, Faye was still subdued and withdrawn. The questions that Celica had intended to ask Faye died on her lips as she saw her dishevelled appearance and bags under her eyes.

Instead she made small talk, tried not to touch on sensitive issues, and felt ridiculous for it the whole time she was there. Trying to pretend everything was normal, that nothing out of the ordinary had happened felt even worse than an ordinary, simple rejection.

But she wasn't sure what to do. She was on the periphery, looking in at Faye who had barely shown the tiniest piece of something dark and lonely in her soul before she had clamped down on it again and did her best to hide it away. She knew that trying to pry would just make Faye withdraw into herself even more.

And as she looked at Faye and felt helpless to breach the gulf between them, she began to wonder just how well she _really_ knew her friend, anyway.

Several days passed like that, and Celica knew that Faye was avoiding her. It wasn't very effective – they lived on the same floor of the same building after all. And Faye seemed unwilling – unable? - to give her the cold shoulder and shut her out entirely, so they still shared scattered conversations. But she no longer kept the door to her apartment open, no longer rushed home from work to meet her and go out on their walks.

Sitting at home, staring out at the empty night sky, Celica pressed a hand to her forehead and wondered how everything had gone so wrong, and if there were some way to go back to _before_.

And then, one week after that disastrous night, there was a knock on her door. Celica blinked and looked up from the book she had been holding and not reading for the past half hour.

“It's open.”

The door creaked open and she saw Alm enter the room.

“Alm?” Celica placed the book on the table and stood. “Is something the matter? Here, have a seat.”

“No, I'm fine.” His hands were in his pockets and looked over his shoulder – in the direction of Faye's apartment. “Hey... do you want to take a walk? I think we have things we might want to discuss.”

It was obvious what he meant, and Celica nodded before following him outside. The air was still frosty enough that she sought the aid of a coat and scarf, but Alm seemed to make do with a denim coat thrown over his shirt.

“... It's about Faye.” He said once they had walked a decent distance from the apartment. “We've all noticed she's... well, she's been down the past few days. Putting it mildly.” One hand reached up to run a hand through his hair. “You're closer to her than most so I was wondering if you might know if anything had happened.”

Celica sighed, her breath puffing out ahead of her in a visible cloud. “I...” Should she tell him? Well, she saw no real harm in it, and Alm was someone who might potentially help her with understanding the haunted look in Faye's eyes. “I... told her I loved her. I don't think she took it well.”

“Oh.”

Celica frowned at the response. “That's it? Just 'oh'?”

“Er, well, we figured it was only a matter of time until one of you confessed, so I guess this doesn't really come as a surprise.” Alm managed a shrug and a bashful smile.

At any other time, Celica would have flushed red and wondered what she had done to be so obvious, but right now she was too worried about Faye to care.

“Wait, but if you told her...” Alm trailed off and closed his eyes. “Then that's why. I should have known. And I thought she'd moved past it...”

“She said that she couldn't love me,” Celica recounted. This seemed the best chance to find out what was wrong with Faye, and she seized upon it, hoping to find something, anything to help fix this. “And... that she would only hurt me.”

“Yeah, no.” Alm shook his head. “I used to date Faye, so I know what it looks like when she's in love with someone. And she's in love with you, no question. But I guess she doesn't want to admit it to herself.” He let out a long sigh.

“Why?” Celica could feel her heartbeat quicken. This had to be it. The reason behind Faye's behaviour. And if she could learn the truth, maybe she could figure out a way to help Faye work through it.

“All right then.” Alm raised his head to stare at the sky, and his gaze was distant. “Faye and I, the end of our relationship was... messy. It took her a long while to... well, get her life back on track, and for her to move on. For a while it even looked like our friendship wouldn't last at first.” A sigh. “Most likely she still blames herself for how it ended. And that's why she's afraid of starting another relationship. Even with someone – no, _especially_ because it's someone she cares so much about, like you.”

“I see.” She remembered now when Tobin had carelessly brought up her previous relationship with Alm; Faye hastily saying that what was past was past, and that there was no need to dig it up again. She'd accepted the statement at face value then. Had she been naïve? “You said it was 'messy'? What happened, exactly?”

Alm opened his mouth, but then his gaze grew contemplative and he shook his head. “I think... it might be best if you asked Faye herself for the details. It's... well, I'm her friend, yes, but she still may not want me sharing them just like that.”

“I understand.” Celica smiled, feeling better than she had at any point in the last few days. At least now she had something to work off. “And thank you.”

“Hey, we're all worried about her. She's our friend too.” Alm smiled back. “I hope the both of you will be able to work your way through this. Good luck, Celica. I'm rooting for you. And Faye as well.”

Celica stood and waved good bye to Alm as he continued to head down the street. And then, she turned back to face the apartment, and her gaze narrowed in determination.

_Faye..._

*~*

**Chapter End**

*~*

 **Author's Notes:** So this chapter was kinda sorta a lot longer than anticipated. Aaand the theme got kinda stuck somewhere in the middle where the beginning and ending was more general setup for the overarching story.

One of my goals when writing this story was to show the idea that these are indeed snapshots. Even if they take place over a period of time, they're still just peeks into Faye and Celica's lives, and they have all sorts of things going on that we don't necessarily see.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this!


	5. Let Go

Promises Woven in Red and Gold

*~*

Anyone see a drama bomb? I think I accidentally dropped it somewhere around here.

So I've found pacing issues to be a bigger problem than expected when trying to stick to a predetermined set of chapters because there are X number of events and you need to figure out which one belongs in which chapter. While still sticking to the prompt theme of course.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this!

*~*

Part 5: **Let Go**

Prompt: **Wistful**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

“ _Mommy!” Faye's frantic call for her mother was stifled by the choking, acrid smoke that smothered the house. She couldn't see much beyond her outstretched hands, and so she continued to stumble blindly, trying to find her mother, her father, grandma, an exit, **something.**_

_Instead she found herself running into a corner of the room, and she sank to the ground, coughing and feeling the pounding in her chest intensify. She could see more now, but the light was an angry, ferocious red thrown out by the roaring flames that were starting to devour the far wall of the room. Wild terror froze her limbs, and instead of panicked flight all she could manage was to crumple onto the floor, eyes wide and staring._

_As she lay there, Faye started to feel dizzy. She knew vaguely that breathing the smoke in couldn't be good for her, but it wasn't not like she could do anything about that. One hand went to her chest, as breathing became more and more difficult. And she found it pressing down against something hard and round._

_Her pendant. The pendant Anthiese had given to her._

_Clutching on to it made her feel calmer, somehow, and she leaned further back against the wall as her vision dimmed and everything seemed to... slip away._

“ _'m sorry... An...” she murmured. “Don't think... can... my... promise...”_

_A crashing sound, seeming to come from far away. As Faye's eyes closed, she had the vague impression of a dark shape looming over her and strong arms bearing her up._

_*~*_

“ _She's moving!”_

_The voice seemed to come from far away, but it pierced the murky cloud of sleep, and Faye stirred and shifted. As she struggled for consciousness, she realized that voice seemed familiar._

“ _Daddy?” she said – or tried to. She became aware of some strange covering around her mouth and weakly tried to reach up to pull it off._

“ _You're safe! Oh, thank the Mother!” and suddenly she realized that someone had thrown her arms around her, hugging her close._

“ _Mommy...” Faye breathed out, her voice muffled by the mask. But her mother seemed to have understood anyway, because her embrace tightened._

“ _It's okay, honey. You're safe now. Everything's going to be fine.”_

_...Everything? Faye blinked, tried to clear the fog of her memory. There had been... the fire... The fire!_

_She looked around. She was on the road outside their house, lying on a cot. Through a gap in the press of people around her, she could see the blackened shape of what had once been the house._

_The house. Everything was gone. And then she looked around, more carefully._

_Daddy was there, one hand covering his mouth and looking like he was about to cry. Mommy was there, still hugging her tightly. Then..._

_She reached up, wrestled with the mask covering her face, and managed to pull it off._

“ _Faye, honey, no, you have to keep it on. You took in some smoke, so-”_

“ _Where's grandma?”_

_Her parents fell silent. And Faye felt a twisting and churning in her gut._

“ _Where's grandma?!” she repeated, her voice rising almost to a shriek._

_Nobody answered. And that was answer enough for Faye._

“ _Grandma!” she scrambled off the cot, trying to run back to the house and to find her grandmother, but her knees gave way as she landed, and she was stumbling onto the floor, her palms scraping against the asphalt._

_And her mother was there, holding on to her, preventing her from running but also holding her close, pressing her close to her body._

“ _GRANDMA!” Faye demanded, arms struggling to reach out in the direction of the smouldering remains._

“ _I'm sorry, Faye,” her mother whispered, and Faye realized she could feel tears dripping onto her shoulder. “I'm so sorry.”_

_And gradually, Faye's own struggles ceased as well, to be replaced by a wail of grief that pierced the evening air._

*~*

Numb.

If she were to sum up how she felt, that would be the word Faye would use. She had been numb the past few days.

And that was good. Better than the alternative. Better than being hurt, better than letting others be hurt.

She went through the motions of living, showing up at work, showing up to meet her friends, showing up when she was expected. Just showing up.

No one at work seemed to realize anything had changed, and anyway the kids demanded enough of her attention that she could briefly stop thinking about it. Only Silque had stared at her with pursed lips and a furrowed brow, but she hadn't brought up the matter directly, for which Faye was grateful. She didn't want to call her a _busybody_ , but Silque always wanted to help, to make things _better._ But this time at least, discretion prevailed.

Her friends, of course, could tell something was wrong. They always could; their eyes saw past her forced smiles and laughter like they weren't even there. They all knew the façade of normalcy she'd thrown up wasn't for their benefit – it was for her own.

After their dinner together and when everyone prepared to depart his house for the night, Alm had tapped on her on the shoulder and asked if anything was wrong. She almost told him then and there, but all of sudden she remembered Alm sitting across the kitchen table from her, in a situation so like and yet unlike this one. He hadn't had that warm, open smile on his face then, she could remember. His face had been a stern, impassive mask, his brow furrowed and his mouth drawn together in a thin line of anger.

She made an excuse she didn't even remember – a feeble one, probably, and had hurried home. It was stupid. Of course it was. She knew better than anyone that they only wanted to help. But yet at the point when she needed them most, all she wanted to do was shut them out and curl into herself.

 _Because I'm weak._ And if she were stronger, she wouldn't have ended up in a mess like this in the first place.

Another day passed by as she lived life in a blur.

As she stepped onto the third floor of the apartment building, her gaze drifted to the door at the far end of the corridor. Room 304. Celica's home.

She swallowed and tried to ignore the twisting feeling in her belly.

Celica. She had hurt Celica most of all – because she hadn't wanted to hurt her.

She'd let her get too close. She hadn't realized what she had been doing. And then... that night.

Faye licked lips that suddenly felt too dry.

She could still remember Celica's confession to her. And for a moment – just a brief instant – Faye had been overjoyed. Celica had looked so – beautiful, so radiant in the cold winter light. And she had wanted Faye? She wanted to be with her?

But it hadn't lasted. Almost immediately the fear of hurting her had surged back – cold and primal. And she realized that she had gotten too close.

She had fallen in love with Celica too, without even realizing it.

“ _I... can't love you.”_ What a bad joke. By the time she had said those words, by the time she had realized the need to even put up such walls, it had already been far too late.

All the time spent with Celica... going out together with just the two of them, gatherings with all their friends for some party or other, the two of them simply being together in comfortable silence as they both worked on their respective hobbies...

She could still see it in her mind's eye; Celica smiling at her, that slight crinkle at the side of her eyes whenever she did that, her delicate lips turned upwards and parting ever so slightly. Celica humming a tune softly to herself as she painted. Celica laughing, a musical sound to her ears.

Celica had made herself a part of her life, and Faye had welcomed it with open arms.

And now?

Pushing her away would only hurt her now.

But inviting her in, letting her stay, loving her _back_... Faye swallowed. It would only hurt her even more in the long run.

What was she supposed to do now? She didn't know. And so she lived her life on autopilot, not feeling, not thinking, not _letting_ herself feel or think, all the while knowing that this was only a stopgap and the longer she put it off the worse it would be when the dam burst.

As she drew near her apartment, she suddenly came to a stop.

Tied to the door handle was a golden ribbon, worn with age but still well maintained. Dangling from one end was a small, sealed envelope.

Faye pressed one hand to her mouth and stood still for a long moment.

And then, with shaking hands, she hastily untied the ribbon and opened the envelope.

_Dearest Faye,_

_Yesterday, Alm came to find me because he was worried about you._

Faye took a deep breath. Of course her friends would do that. They all knew that leaving her to stew in her own misery would do her no favours. But then – she bit her lip. What had Celica told Alm? And what had Alm told her?

_I talked with him, and I shared what I knew with him. About what had happened that night. I am sorry if you didn't want anyone to know what had happened. But I was worried about you. I still am. But I didn't know how to broach the subject with you, and I thought he might be able to help._

_He gave me some information about his past relationship with you._

She let out her breath in a rush. So that was it then. Celica knew. What was 'a little' by Alm's reckoning? Her fingers tightened their grip on the sheet of paper as she continued to read.

_I only know that your relationship with Alm had a troubled end. He told me that was all he felt comfortable telling me. The details of the matter would otherwise be yours to share or keep to yourself if you'd prefer._

She broke off, leaning her head against her door and squeezed her eyes shut for a long moment. She wasn't even sure if she should feel angry. At Alm? At Celica? And for what?

She knew, on a distant, intellectual level, that they only wanted to help her. And it wasn't exactly like her breakup with Alm had been anything remotely _private._ Everyone who knew them knew about what had happened.

But that was just it, wasn't it? Celica hadn't known. Celica hadn't come back into her life yet. It would have been easier, so much easier to let that lurk in her past, and never to bring it up again.

But of course Celica would find out, sooner or later. Because Celica loved her and that meant that she would have stumbled over buried hurts sooner or later.

It was all her fault. If she'd just been honest with Celica, she could have brought this up on her own terms. But by pushing her away, Celica had simply wandered by accident onto what Faye didn't want her to know.

Taking a deep breath, Faye forced herself to continue reading.

_Faye, I understand if you still don't want to talk about it. And I don't want to put unnecessary pressure on you. I suppose that's why I wrote this letter to you. I thought coming to face you in person might make you uncomfortable about it._

_I want you to know that I care very much about you Faye. And if you truly don't think a relationship between us will work out, I will accept that too._

_And if you don't want to talk about this, I'll accept that too._

_But I **want** to help you, in any way I can. I made a promise to you. I won't leave again. I will always be there for you. That hasn't changed._

_So please, if you trust me to be strong enough to help bear your hurts, if you trust in the promise I made to you, please let me help you. Let me in._

It wasn't until the words blurred together that Faye realized her eyes were misted with tears.

Wiping at her eyes, Faye looked down at her door handle.

And then her gaze travelled down the corridor instead, to Celica's apartment.

Suddenly she found herself fumbling for the handle of her door, and she threw it open, stumbling into her apartment, seeking escape from – she wasn't even sure.

For a long time, she simply paced about her home, as the sun slowly sank in the horizon and day gave way to the night. She knew what she should do, what she _had_ to do. But mustering up the courage seemed almost impossible.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she opened her door and walked quickly down the hallway. Reaching her destination, she knocked on the door, once, twice.

The sound of movement from within, and the door creaked open. Celica was standing there, and she could see an expression of relief come across her face as she saw Faye.

“Hello, Celica,” Faye said in a quiet voice. “May I come in?”

*~*

There was silence, aside from the soft ticking of a clock on the wall. Faye stared at the cup of hot chocolate that Celica had made for her, at the steam wafting gently up from it. Opposite her on the table Celica held her own mug close to her, waiting patiently for Faye to speak.

Faye took a deep breath. She was here now, and she'd made the decision to stop running, but all of a sudden she felt small and almost insignificant.

“Take your time.” Celica must have seen the distress on Faye's face. Her smile was open and understanding and that, more than anything, was what spurred Faye to speak.

“I guess...” her voice sounded small in the silence of room. “This didn't really start with Alm. It started all those years ago. With the fire.”

“You mean... the one that destroyed your old home?”

“Yes. Everything I had was destroyed all of a sudden. And... I lost my grandmother too. The firefighters couldn't reach her in time, and she...”

“... I'm sorry.” Celica's gaze was downcast. She would have known about this already, Faye realized; she had read about the fire when trying to find Faye, after all.

“Thanks. It's all right now. But... I think that was where it started. I became terrified of ever losing anything. Anyone.” Faye closed her eyes and drew in a shaking breath. “I moved on with life, true, but I kept... looking back instead of forward. Tried to make sure things wouldn't change, ever.

“I guess I put up a good enough front for a while that my friends didn't really see anything wrong. Or, well, maybe they thought it wasn't that serious.” She shifted her gaze to the window, and the grey skies outside. “Or maybe we were so close that even I couldn't imagine us ever parting ways.”

“... But that changed.”

“It did.” Pausing to take a sip from her mug, Faye set it down on the table, and continued to stare at it as she talked. “I'd been attracted to Alm for a while. And when he became my boyfriend, I was overjoyed at first. But after a while... I became scared. Scared that I would do something to hurt the relationship. Scared that I'd do something to drive him away.”

She could remember it now. The burning anxiety in her heart everything she spoke with him, every time they went out on a date. Worry that she had done something wrong, hadn't been paying enough attention, had accidentally offended him. Almost subconsciously, one hand reached up to clutch at her chest.

“It was awful. I became so worried about ruining his love for me, I... I ended up strangling out the love I felt for him.” She could remember. The weariness, the resentment building up deep within her, with no outlet because she was too terrified that letting Alm know about her worries would simply drive him away.

She realized she was shivering now, despite the warmth in the room. She blinked, and felt tears building in her eyes.

“Of course, he realized that our relationship was just hurting me. I was a nervous wreck around him, I was losing sleep over it and I guess deep down I realized it too. But...” she managed a mirthless smile. “I told you I was terrified of losing anyone. I wasn't strong enough to... let go.”

“Oh, Faye...”

“I remember the night he finally confronted me. He sat me down at the table and asked me if I even loved him anymore. And I think I still did, but I'd grown so – so _numb_ and weary at that point that I just broke down in front of him because I knew it was over. And – and I knew it was all... my fault...” She had to cut herself off at that point. Her throat had closed up, her eyes felt like they were burning, and she knew that her nose was starting to run as well, as she struggled to hold in her sobs.

Suddenly she felt herself something soft and warm pressing on her, strong arms wrapping around her back, and she realized that Celica had come around to embrace her.

“Celica...” she whispered. “I'm sorry...”

“It's all right, Faye.” Her voice was warm. Gentle. And Faye found her tears flowing even faster and she sobbed and sniffled into Celica's shoulder. Celica simply held her close, offering what comfort she could.

After a long moment, after she had managed to calm down, Faye pulled away. Celica held out a tissue, and Faye accepted it with a nod, using it to wipe at her eyes and blow her nose.

“Well, now you know.” She said, letting her breath out with a sigh, as her shoulders slumped. “Alm, he... he helped me work through it, helped me with getting my life back on track. All of them did. Even though we both knew it wouldn't work out between us any longer. I'd hurt him, so badly, because of my screwups. Kept him in a relationship that wasn't working for far longer than I should have. But he... just wanted to help me.” A slight smile and a shake of her head. “Is it any wonder I fell for him in the first place?”

“So that's why you trust them so much.”

“I was a complete wreck at that point. My life was a mess. But they refused to leave me alone to... fester. They couldn't force me to change or anything, but they let me know they were always there. Always ready to help me take the next step forward, and help me to heal.” She looked down at the table. “I owe them all... so much. More than I can ever repay.”

A silence fell upon the room again, until Faye took a deep breath and stood.

“So, there you have it. I'm sorry I took so long to tell you, but... that's why. I can't love you. I... I can't love _anyone_ that way. I'd end up ruining it, and I'd... It would just hurt the both of us.”

“Faye...”

“I'm sorry,” she said again. “I'll see myself out.”

She was halfway to the door when she heard Celica speak out again. “You said you 'can't love me'.”

Faye paused. There was something in Celica's voice that sounded different, as if some decision had been made or breakthrough had been reached. As she turned back, she saw that Celica was still standing by the table, with a smile so melancholy Faye almost rushed back to comfort her then and there.

Instead she stood still, half afraid, half hoping that Celica would say something, magically make it all right.

Taking a single step towards her, Celica smiled and held out a hand. “But, all these months we've spent together... you seemed happy. Was I wrong?”

Faye found herself unable to hold Celica's gaze and she looked at the ground. “That was – that was different. I didn't think about it – I was careless, I-”

“Were you happy to be with me?”

And it was those seven words, asked with a quiet sincerity, that pierced through Faye's heart, and she found tears flowing again.

Happy? The word seemed paltry, painfully inadequate to describe what she had felt. She had been _content_ , secure in the knowledge that Celica would always be there, with her warm smiles and soft laughter and open arms.

“Yes,” she admitted. She had been happy. So happy that she was now terrified that she had already ruined that happiness.

“Then please don't run away.” Celica was even closer now, close enough to reach out and touch, and Faye was torn between throwing herself at her, or turning and running out the door.

Instead she did neither and let herself lean into Celica as her friend – her lover? Faye didn't know anymore – drew her into a tight hug. She was tired. Tired of running. Tired of worrying. Tired of... being so weak and fragile. She wanted to rest.

“Please stay,” Celica breathed into her ear, her voice soft but carrying a promise of comfort and love. “Stay. And let _me_ love _you_.”

*~*

**Chapter End**

*~*

 **Author's Notes:** I'm pretty sure I started writing this with a prompt somewhere... Oh look, it's gotten away from me again. It was supposed to be 'wistful' in the general sense of having Faye always looking back and trying not to lose what she has, but along the way I think it ended up being a full on complex.

Otherwise, nothing much else to say. I hope those of you reading this enjoyed it. As always, comments and criticisms are much appreciated.


	6. Strong and Weak

Promises Woven in Red and Gold

*~*

The end is in sight! And I made sure to do my best with sticking close to the prompt this time!

… Although admittedly this probably wasn't what they had in mind when they created the prompt of 'shell'...

Anyway, the show (story?) must go on!

*~*

Part 6: **Strong and Weak**

Prompt: **Shell**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

Celica could feel Faye shivering in her arms as she continued to hold her. For an endless moment, Celica could only wonder if she would pull away and leave, or if she would stay.

“... Why?” Faye finally said, her voice muffled by Celica's shoulder. “Why did you fall in love with me? Why did I... fall in love with you?”

“Why?” Celica closed her eyes and let out her breath in a soft laugh. “I don't know. Why does anything happen? Why did we manage to find each other again so suddenly, after so many years? Why did I happen to meet Uncle just when I was on the verge of giving up hope? Maybe it was fate, or it was the Mother. Either way... right here, and right now, I love you, Faye. And that won't change.”

“I...” Faye took a deep, shuddering breath. “I... care for you too, Celica. So much. I _want_ to love you. But I, I can't...” she broke off with a soft gasp. “I'm scared, Celica. If I ruin everything again, I'd-”

“No, you won't.” Celica tightened her grip on Faye, trying to communicate without words that it was okay to trust her, to trust in their bond. “You're better than that. I know you are.”

“And if I'm not?” Her voice was softer but no less tremulous. “How can you know? You haven't seen me when I'm at my worst.”

“No. But I have seen _you_.” She began running her hand up and down Faye's back, trying to offer her comfort through her small actions. “I've seen the sweet, kind, gentle person called Faye. I've seen you when you've just stumbled out of bed, eyes bloodshot, hair a mess, barely able to form a coherent sentence. I've seen you when your work keeps you back late and you're so exhausted you can barely keep your eyes open. I've seen your with your eyes sparkling with delight when you think about sewing a birthday present for Genny and asking me about what designs she would like. I've seen you angry, frustrated, excited, terrified, bored and overjoyed. And I love all of it. I love all of _you_.

“If you're worried that you could do something to lose my love, then like I said, let me love you.” She closed her eyes and buried her face in the softness of Faye's hair. “Let me cover you from head to toe in it, and let me wash away any doubt. And let me say it to you, as many times as you need to hear it.” She paused, just for the briefest of moments. “I love you.”

A shudder passed through Faye's body, and she heard her swallow. “Please, say it again.”

Celica gladly complied, holding her tighter, her hands pressing into Faye's body as if she could imprint the words into her very soul. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

After a moment, Celica realized that Faye was speaking as well, mouthing the same words back to Celica, her voice nearly inaudible.

Celica continued to hold her close as felt the warmth of tears running down her cheeks.

*~*

“Hey, Celica?” They were on Celica's couch now, an old beat-up thing she'd once picked up from a garage sale. Faye was lying down, head on her lap, and Celica was idly running her hands through her hair.

She felt... exhausted. Tired to the bone But there was a satisfaction that had settled deep within her as well. If asked to describe the situation the two of them were in, Celica wasn't sure she could give a detailed response. But for now, the two of them together, like this – it was enough.

“Yes, what is it?”

“It feels...” Faye took a deep breath. “Funny, you know? I know you just promised to look after me and everything, and I'm happy – I really am! But at the same time, I don't want to end up... well, all take and no give.”

“You don't need to worry about that.” Celica said as she reached out to take Faye's hand in her own. “You give so much to me just by being you, Faye.”

“You're sweet, Celica.” Faye smiled up at her for a brief moment before the troubled expression in her eyes returned. “But... I don't know. It's just – you're such a strong person. So accomplished. I guess I feel like I don't know how to measure up.”

“Me? Strong?” Celica raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“Are you kidding?” Faye twisted slightly from her position so she could look Celica in the eye. “When you left your – when you left that man, came all the way here and started a new life. I'd never be able to manage something like that. The way you just – took charge of your own life like that.”

“You think that was 'taking charge'?” Celica almost laughed at the absurdity of the statement. “I told you already. I ended up lost and alone with nowhere to go. My one plan of finding you was a bust. If I hadn't ran into Uncle one dark, rainy night, who knows where I'd be right now. I was _lucky_. Don't confuse that with actually knowing what I was doing.”

Faye didn't respond, her gaze thoughtful.

“And what about you?” Celica continued. “You've a steady job that pays okay. A circle of close friends all the way from childhood. You suffered a horrible breakup and managed to move past it. I'd say you've taken charge of your own life pretty well.”

“That wasn't me,” a sigh escaped her lips, “if it wasn't for everyone pulling together to help me work my way through it, I'd still just be a mess.”

“And you think I'm any different?” Celica brought Faye's hand up to her mouth and pressed a long, slow kiss to the back of it. “We've always relied on others to help us through the tough times, Faye. And we do what we can to help them through it as well. Like that time Boey and Mae had that big fight and we stayed up with her while she got all drunk and weepy...”

“Or that time Alm lost Sir Purr and we spent four hours searching for him.”

Celica giggled. “Yes, exactly. My point is, it's okay to lean on others when times are tough. That doesn't make you strong or weak.”

“It's okay to lean on others, huh?” Faye smiled up at Celica, and she felt her heart flutter again. The way Faye was looking at her now – it was the same open warmth and satisfaction she'd shown her before it had been replaced with fear and worry. “Does that include you?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

“I know, but – I want to hear it from you. Please?”

She laughed and nodded. “But of course. You can depend on me, Faye. I'll always be there for you, no matter what. And I'd like to depend on you too, if that's okay. Whatever happens, we'll face it together. That's a promise.”

Faye's smile widened. “I'm going to hold you to that.”

“Please do.”

Her lover giggled, and then, propping herself up on her elbows, she pushed herself up so that she could kiss Celica.

Celica complied, leaning down herself, and she gave a small sigh of joy and delight as she felt their lips press against each other.

*~*

“Well, congra _ **tu**_ lations!” Mae whooped as she held up her drink in a gesture of celebration. Her shout was met and matched by others cheers and claps of the other people assembled.

“I cannot believe you.” Despite the complaining nature of her words, Celica had a smile on her face as she regarded her friend. “You say you want to have a quiet dinner at your place and then you ambush us with a full blown party once we step into the room?”

“Well in my defense, you should totally have seen this coming!” Mae continued to beam. “I mean, my bestie finally hooks up with the girl of her dreams and you expect us to _not_ celebrate? Get out of here!”

Celica settled for a sigh and a shake of her head as she looked over at Faye who was currently doing an impressive imitation of a tomato. Gray and Tobin were congratulating her and offering dating tips, and Kliff was standing slightly farther back, one hand rubbing his head as he sighed at his friends' antics.

“Well, thanks then.” She smiled and let out a sigh. “It must have been a lot of work to organize this on short notice.”

“Oh please.” Her friend rolled her eyes. “Once I floated the idea everyone was practically falling over themselves to help. And you should have seen boss! He actually got weepy at the idea that you found a girlfriend!”

“Hah. Hardly surprising. I remember Uncle getting teary-eyed too when you and Boey got together.” Celica swirled the drink in her glass as her smile became more nostalgic. “He's a big softie at heart, isn't he.”

“Yeah, he is. But tonight isn't about him! It's about you and Faye! So!” With another shout, Mae raised her glass into the air. “Cheers! To Faye and Celica!”

“TO FAYE AND CELICA!” the room resounded with their combined shout.

Later, as everyone continued to enjoy the food, engage in conversation and sip at drinks, Celica spotted Faye slipping out onto the balcony. Placing her drink on a nearby table, she followed after her girlfriend.

“Do you want to be alone?” She asked as she stepped outside. The nights were still cold enough that she was grateful for her jacket, but they were slowly becoming warmer. Spring was on its way.

“No, not really.” Faye was hugging herself as she stared up at the night sky. “I mean, I do enjoy these gatherings with everyone, but sometimes you just need to take some time to... step back and recharge, you know what I mean?” She turned to face Celica, and her smile grew wider. “You want to come over? There's plenty of room.”

With a small chuckle, Celica walked over and leaned on the railing, staring out at the night sky. “So much has happened this past few days. So yes, I know what you mean.”

“It's funny...” Faye closed her eyes as a breeze picked up, and Celica unconsciously clutched her jacket tighter around herself. “If you look at it objectively, I spend about the same amount of time with you now as I did before we... well, got together for real. But being with you _now_ , it feels so much more amazing. More fulfilling, like just hanging out with you gives me so much more energy.”

“Well, I'm not an expert or anything. But maybe it's because we just realized that something we wanted came true after all.” She lowered her gaze, looking at her elbows that rested on the carved wooden railing. “Suddenly it feels like there's so much we can achieve. And that we can do it together. That part seems important to me.”

“Together...” Her girlfriend leaned in closer to Celica, snaking her arm around her to hold her close, and she smiled as she felt hair brushing against her cheek. “Celica?”

“What is it?”

“Thank you,” Faye's voice was a breathy whisper. “If it wasn't for you... nothing would have changed.”

“Changed?” Celica reached her hand down to clasp Faye's.

“Before this... I'd thought to myself that I couldn't afford to fall in love again.” A pause and a sigh. “I didn't want to hurt anyone else. So I guess I... put a shell around myself, if that makes any sense?”

She didn't respond, instead giving Faye time to gather her thoughts and continue.

“I could be friendly with people, get to know them well enough, but I – I refused to let myself ever get too close to them. It was too dangerous – I couldn't afford it.” Another sigh. “And then I met you. Again, I mean.

“And you made your way into my heart so easily – without even trying! I just kept getting closer to you, and then one day I realized I was in love with you.” A laugh, a single merry note in the silence of the night. “I still don't know how you did it.”

“Hm.” Celica twisted slightly and planted a kiss on Faye's forehead. “The way you say it makes me sound like I did something insidious or sneaky.”

“Heh. That's not it at all. I wanted to say thank you,” Faye leaned further into Celica, nuzzling her cheek, “for stealing my heart. Take good care of it, okay?”

“Always.”

There was the sound of the door opening behind them, and both girls turned to see Alm in the doorway.

“So that's where you two ended up!” He smiled and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “You two wanna come in soon? Genny's bringing out the cake.”

“There's a cake?”

“Well, they said it wouldn't a real party without one. And hey, free cake! I'm not arguing with that.”

A laugh was shared, and hand in hand, Faye and Celica returned to the party, where their friends and family were waiting for them.

*~*

**Chapter End**

*~*

 **Author's Notes:** Next chapter will basically be an epilogue, where I hopefully get to write some pure, uncomplicated 100% WAFF for the two of them.

Thanks for reading! Comments and critique are always welcome!


	7. Red and Gold

Promises Woven in Red and Gold

*~*

So here we are at the end. I hope the last chapter is a good one. And I hope you all like it!

*~*

Part 7: **Red and Gold**

Prompt: **Relax**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

_**Red** _

*~*

The sun was just starting to tinge red when Faye made it back to their apartment. As she stepped inside, she tossed her bag onto the nearby table.

“Celica, are you home?” she called. “Sorry, work kept me back late again.”

There was no response, not that she really expected one. She glanced out the window. Perfect weather for an evening walk. She could hardly blame Celica for deciding to head out today.

Still, Faye couldn't quite shake off the odd feeling of loneliness at coming back to an empty home. It was funny how quickly she'd grown used to Celica moving in and sharing the apartment with her. Her gaze fell upon Celica's latest work, still half-done and she paused for a moment to admire the pastoral scene that had started to take shape under her brush.

And then she realized that there was a folded note on the kitchen counter alongside a plastic box. Faye smiled to herself as she walked over and unfolded the piece of paper.

_Decided to take a walk. Made some sandwiches in case you weren't able to get dinner on the way home. See you later. Love you!_

The tiny, thoughtful gesture was still enough to make Faye's smile widen as she clutched the paper to her chest and looked down at the food that Celica had prepared for her.

And then, she turned to glance at the clock on the wall and she quirked an eyebrow. If her guess was correct...

Grabbing the box, she turned and headed out the door once again.

*~*

Fifteen minutes later, Faye strode along the pathways of the park, and her pace quickened as she caught sight of a familiar figure relaxing along one of the park benches.

Soon she was near enough for the sound of her footsteps to reach Celica, and as she looked up, her eyes widened for a moment before she tilted her head and gave Faye a knowing smile.

“You didn't have to rush out here, you know that?”

“Of course not!” Faye smiled at her. “But I _wanted_ to! And I knew you'd be around this area so I'd be able to find you easily.”

“I'm that predictable, am I?”

“I prefer to call it 'reliable'.” Faye settled herself on the bench beside Celica and pried open the lid of the box. “Do you want the cucumber or the tuna?”

“Cucumber is fine.” Celica accepted the offered food and for a moment the two of them simply ate their food in comfortable silence.

Faye swallowed the last bite of her own sandwich and nodded her head. “Yup! This is definitely way better than eating dinner at home on my own!”

“Oh, were you lonely?” The question was casual, but by now Faye could read Celica well enough to tell that she had tensed up ever so slightly, and Faye resisted the urge to sigh.

“It's not your fault.” She slumped back against the bench, feeling the wooden slats press into her back. “What with our planned expansion of the daycare our working hours are all jumbled up now and I guess our schedules aren't so neat anymore.” She was silent for a moment before she let out her breath in a sigh. “But yeah, I guess I still don't like coming back to an empty house.”

“... I could wait at home for you if you'd like.”

“No, don't.” She had a frown now. “The _last_ thing I want is for you to miss out on something you enjoy for my sake.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. And then Celica reached over and intertwined her fingers with Faye's.

“Are you worried about something, Faye?”

“No,” she said automatically.

Celica merely raised an eyebrow.

Faye sighed and slumped. “... Yes. Kind of.” She leaned against Celica, and closed her eyes with a smile at the comforting warmth of her lover. “I just... feel like I haven't been able to do much for you lately. I'm always so tired at the end of the day. I don't want you to feel neglected, you know.”

She felt Celica plant a kiss against her forehead, and despite herself a thrill ran through her body at the touch. “If something like that is bothering you, then please, talk to me about it. I'd be more than happy to let you know my side of things, and to offer support.”

“It's silly.” Faye didn't like to think about burdening Celica with her petty fears and worries, and so instead she closed her eyes and focused on enjoying the feeling of Celica being so close to her. “You don't need to get involved with my own hangups.”

“I know. But I _want_ to.” She could hear the smile in Celica's voice as she turned Faye's words back at her. “We're in this together. And if you have any fears or doubts, no matter how small or silly you think they are, well, then I'll be more than happy to ease them for you. After all, that's a perfect opportunity for me to pamper you and spoil you rotten.”

She snorted. “You do that anyway.”

“Even moreso, I mean,” Celica said with a small chuckle, and Faye luxuriated in how that sound seemed to make the whole world seem just a little bit brighter.

Faye sighed, the sound a mixture of contentment and wonder. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“Hm, let me see. Well, eight years ago, you happened to notice a lonely little girl sitting by the roadside and you decided to go over and cheer her up. That was a pretty good start.” She felt Celica reaching over to stroke her hair in slow, gentle motions. “And so, my dearest Faye, what would you have me do to make you feel all better?”

Faye cracked her eyes open again and looked up at Celica. Her face was bathed in the warm golden light, framed by the her long curls of hair that seemed to catch the rays of the setting sun to glow with an inner fire. Her smile was radiant, and Faye felt her heart flutter at the sight. At times like these, she felt like she was falling in love with Celica all over again.

“Can we stay like this?” she murmured, her voice barely rising above a sleepy whisper. A comfortable warmth seemed to have seeped into her bones, weighing them down and making it impossible to even contemplate the idea of getting up and moving. “Just for a little while longer?”

Movement, and she felt Celica's head resting against hers. “But of course.”

And so the two of them remained there, watching as the sun slowly sank into the horizon, staining the landscape a brilliant red.

Life was good.

*~*

_**Gold** _

*~*

“Sorry I'm late guys. Anything happen yet?” Gray said as he settled into the seat beside Celica, giving her a tiny nod hello as he did so.

“Oh, nothing much,” at Celica's other side, Faye shrugged and pointed _._ “I was just asking Kliff what time his flight will be.”

“And I was just about to tell her that it's five hours from now,” Kliff glanced down at his watch. “Plenty of time. Especially since we chose a restaurant so close to the airport.”

“True enough,” Gray glanced out the window. “So, excited?”

“Hm,” Kliff leaned back in his chair, one hand idly twirling a lock of his hair. “To be honest, I'm feeling a fair amount of apprehension. To be granted a scholarship to such a prestigious school as Altea National University is a high honour. I'll have to work hard to live up to the expectations set for me.” A slight smirk graced his features. “Of course, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I never had much chance to travel before, and now... heh. Talk about the world being my oyster.”

“Well when you come back with your fancy Master's degree don't forget the rest of us little guys who helped you make it to the top, yeah?”

“Oh, rest assured I'd never forget any of you.” Kliff let the smirk linger for a moment. “No matter how hard I try.”

“Oh, come on!”

A round of laughter as the waiter came over to ask if they were ready to order, and the next hour was spent eating and reminiscing about the many escapades they had gotten to over the years. And after that was a slow leisurely walk towards the airport.

And then it was time for Kliff to enter the departure hall, and as they gathered around him, Faye clapped her hands together.

“All right everyone, I made some going away presents just for this occasion! Kliff, hold out your hand.”

He raised an eyebrow but complied, and Faye quickly tied a colourful woven cord onto his wrist.

“A... friendship bracelet?” Kliff raised an eyebrow as he held it up to his face to get a better look. “Well, it's certainly up to your usual standards of craftsmanship.”

“And that's not all! This one has a special design!” Celica had to smile. Faye was so excited she was practically bouncing on her feet. “See that little tab? If you pull on it, you can pull out a longer piece of cloth! I sewed a special message onto it, just for you!”

As Kliff did as instructed, his usual sceptical expression faded into a smile of genuine fondness. “'No matter how far the roots of a tree spread, they will always remain connected.' Isn't that a scripture verse?”

“Maaaybe. But it's also something good to remember, isn't it?”

“I suppose.” Kliff nodded once. “My thanks, Faye. I'll be sure to treasure it.”

“I know you will. Oh yeah, I decided to make one for everyone too! Here, Gray this one's yours...”

As Faye busied herself with handing out her handmade gifts, Celica had to smile at Faye's overflowing enthusiasm that she always displayed whenever she got the chance to share her handiwork.

In fact, she was so amused that it took her a moment to realize that Faye had passed over giving a bracelet to her.

She blinked once, then quickly shook her head. _No, she probably intended it to_ _just_ _be something shared among her childhood friends after all._

And so she shoved that thought to the back of her mind as she joined the others in bidding Kliff farewell.

*~*

“Penny for your thoughts?” Celica asked as she closed the door to their apartment behind her.

“Oh, it's nothing much.” Faye stood in the middle of the room, arms folded and an expression of contemplation on her face. “I just... well, Kliff's gone now.”

“Not forever.” Flicking the lights on, Celica walked over and embraced Faye from behind. “And I know Gray and Tobin were already floating ideas that we could all go visit him in Archanea once we can all arrange a few days of leave at the same time.”

“I know, but it's still...” Faye sighed leaned back into Celica's embrace. “I guess I still like to look back at the past a bit more than I should.”

“Well, just so long as you continue to move forward too. And I'll be there to prod you along, don't you worry.”

“Thanks.” Faye smiled at her before her eyes twinkled with something like mischief and she pulled away. “And on that note, was my imagination playing tricks on me or were you just a _little_ upset I skipped you over in the gift-giving?”

Celica felt her eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she was smiling and shaking her head. “It was no bother, Faye. It was something meant to be shared between your childhood friends, wasn't it? After all, I wasn't even able to confirm my attendance at the farewell gathering until earlier today.”

“You mean you're not the least bit put out. At all?” Faye was _definitely_ teasing her now, and so Celica put a tolerant smile on her face.

“All right, for the sake of argument, let's say I was. And what would you do about it?”

“Well, it's true that I thought about making one for you too. But then making those bracelets took too long, and so I had to settle for buying you something instead.” An affected sigh came from her girlfriend as she patted her handbag and Celica found herself with a smile on her face.

“Well, don't leave me in suspense. What did you get me?”

There was a moment of hesitation, and Celica realized that Faye was dreadfully nervous all of a sudden. Before she even start pondering the reason behind that, Faye had dipped her hand into her handbag and pulled out -

A small, red box lined with velvet.

Celica could have sworn she felt her heart stop.

“After all, you're...” Faye swallowed once as she held the box out to her, “far, far more than a friend to me.”

With a flick of her fingers, Faye had popped the box open, revealing a gleaming golden ring with a shining red gemstone set in the middle.

Celica opened her mouth and closed it again, unable to find the words to say anything.

“I thought about asking earlier, but... well, I didn't want to put you on the spot in public or anything, so... Celica?” Faye's brow furrowed as she apparently realized Celica had yet to say or do anything in response. “Um... is anything the matter?”

“This is...” Celica finally found her voice, weak and quavering as it was. “This isn't... No!”

She could see Faye's eyes widen and start to quiver and she was instinctively retracting her arm, but Celica had already dashed to her handbag and yanked it open. Digging around, she reached for the inner compartment she had kept sealed for the past week and brought out her own ring box, only hers was a deep navy blue.

“ _I_ was supposed to ask _you_!”

For a moment, neither of them moved, simply staring at the other and the box they were both holding. And then the sheer absurdity of the situation crashed down onto both of them, and Celica found the both of them doubled over, howling with gales of laughter.

A little later, when they had managed to calm down a little, Faye wiped tears of mirth from eyes and gave Celica a crooked smile. “So... is that a yes?”

And Celica found that she had launched herself at Faye without being aware of it, and she was holding her close and twirling around their apartment. Her tears continued to flow, only this time she was smiling through them instead of laughing. “Yes,” she said into Faye's ear, arms wrapped as tight as she could manage. “Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times, yes! I love you, Faye. You've made me – oh, I'm the happiest woman on the planet, right now.”

“I thought that was me. In fact, I'm pretty sure it is.”

“Oh, who's counting?” Celica closed her eyes and sighed into Faye's hair. “I'm just – I was waiting for the right time to ask, and then you go and pull this-!”

“... Well, at least we're on the same wavelength.” Faye gave out a long, satisfied sigh of her own as her arms coiled around Celica..

A little later, they found themselves on the couch, coming down from their emotional high. Celica sighed and sank back, idly stroking Faye's hair.

“Would you look at that,” Faye said as she held her hand out. “The ring you bought for me has a ribbon design on it.”

“I thought it was appropriate.” Celica raised an eyebrow and raised her own hand to observe her ring too. “And I noticed the red gemstone on my ring looks remarkably like the pendant I gave you.”

A chuckle was shared between the two of them, and then Faye slumped closer, letting her head rest on Celica's shoulder.

“... Celica?” The soft murmur of someone who was already half-asleep.

“Mm?” She was finding it harder to gather her thoughts too. Well, it _had_ been a long day.

“I love you. So much.”

“I know. And I love you too.”

Faye offered her a content smile before her eyes slid shut.

Celica glanced at the clock on the wall, gave a mental shrug, and leaned against Faye, closing her eyes, and letting the gentle rhythm of Faye's breathing lull her to slumber as well.

Tomorrow was another day.

*~*

**Story End**

*~*

 **Author's Notes:** The first half of this chapter was the idea I had that spun out of the prompt for 'relax', and the second half was spurred by another prompt from some blog that gives prompt ideas, and I can't even remember it now. Basically the whole 'friendship bracelets, someone gets left out and feels a little put out, character who made friendship bracelets reveals the ring instead' thing.

*~*

 **Story Post-Mortem:** Well, writing this story for Rarepair week has been a unique, exhilarating, and wonderful experience that I absolutely do _not_ want to repeat any time in the foreseeable future.

Seriously, cranking out a 20K word story over 10 days (more or less) while following prompt ideas chapter to chapter and sticking to a set chapter count turned out way harder than I thought it would be when I first started this story.

Well, it is what it is. I hope all you readers enjoyed reading this. I mostly enjoyed writing it a whole lot! And as always, comments and critiques are most welcome.

And, after this, we'll move back to more regular updates to 'A Road Less Travelled', where the upcoming chapter is going to involve a significant amount of Faye and Celica yelling and getting angry at each other. Oh I can hardly wait.


End file.
